Why Arabs Loathe Hezbollah

As Iran's chief puppet in the Middle East (along with Syria's Bashar Assad), Nasrallah wants to see Iran take over most of the Arab countries.

"[W]hat is the difference between Iran and Islamic State? The answer is simple; they are all trying to establish a foothold on the border with Saudi Arabia." — Tariq al-Hamid, prominent Saudi editor and political analyst.

Now, however, many Arabs seem to have woken up to the reality that Nasrallah is nothing but an Iranian puppet whose sole goal is to serve his masters in Tehran. But it remains to be seen whether the U.S. Administration and other Western powers will also wake up and realize that Iran and its proxies pose a real threat not only to Israel, but also to many Arabs and Muslims.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iran's protégé and partner in the Middle East, seems to be leading the Lebanese people into another catastrophe.

In 2006, Nasrallah initiated a war with Israel that wrought havoc on the Lebanese, after an ambush by Hezbollah in Israeli territory that left three Israeli soldiers dead and two abducted.

Now the Lebanese people are about to pay another heavy price – this time because of Nasrallah's involvement in the Syrian civil war and his strong condemnations of Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries over the conflict in Yemen.

During a speech in Beirut last Friday, Nasrallah condemned the Saudi-led "aggression" against Yemen. "It is our human, jihadist and religious duty to take this stance and all the sons of this nation must reassess their responsibilities and take the appropriate stance," he said. "Intimidation or threats will not prevent us from continuing to declare our condemnation of the aggression against Yemen. The war's real objective is to restore the Saudi-American hegemony over Yemen."

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah blasted Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen, in a speech he gave in Beirut on April 17, 2015. (Image source: PressTV video screenshot)

The real reason why Nasrallah has come out against the Saudi-led coalition's air strikes in Yemen is that he is worried about the fate of the Iranian-backed Houthis, who are seeking to take over the Arab country. Indeed, Nasrallah has good reason to be worried. A defeat for the Houthis would also be seen as a defeat for Hezbollah and Iran. As Iran's chief puppet in the Middle East (along with Syria's Bashar Assad), Nasrallah wants to see Iran take over most of the Arab countries.

Nasrallah seems determined to achieve this goal at any cost. He does not care if the Lebanese people pay a heavy price for his alliance with Iran.

His attacks on Saudi Arabia and its allies have triggered fears that Lebanese nationals living in the Gulf will be the first to pay the price.

This is precisely what happened to the Palestinians when they supported Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. After Kuwait was liberated, the emirate and other Gulf countries expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were living and working there.

Now, thanks to Nasrallah's policies and public statements, the Lebanese living in the Gulf could meet the same fate.

"Where does Nasrallah wish to take Lebanon and the Lebanese through his tense speeches against Saudi Arabia?" asked Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. "Has he taken into consideration the consequences of his words on the lives of around 50,000 Lebanese living in Saudi Arabia? The foolish tone of Nasrallah is not beneficial."

Jumblatt was not the only Lebanese politician to express concern over Nasrallah's fiery speech against Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi said Nasrallah should be "ashamed" of his attacks on Saudi Arabia, "which has supported Lebanon's state institutions and has not paid money to any side or sect and has not created militias." Rifi described Hezbollah as a "mere tool" of Iran that "sacrifices itself and its people for the sake of a failing (Iranian) project. ... Hezbollah is turning Lebanon into an operations room to spread Iranian hegemony."

Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil warned that his country could plunge into chaos if political powers in Lebanon bet on competing foreign powers and bring regional conflicts into the country.

"We do not have the right to bid on foreign powers and attract conflicts that are bigger than Lebanon and which Lebanon cannot handle," Bassil said. Referring to Hezbollah, he added: "If a group, party or sect still wants to try this after the failure of all past experiences, we would be subjecting our people and our country to an existential threat."

When the Lebanese foreign minister talks about "failure of past experiences," he is obviously referring to the wars with Israel that Hezbollah has brought on Lebanon.

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said that Nasrallah's speech against the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen was "wailing and crying." He said that Nasrallah was following in the footsteps of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by adopting "creativity in falsification, misinterpretation, deception, show of force and sectarian mobilization." He said that Hezbollah is "keen to rescue the [Syrian] regime of Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian role in infiltrating Yemen and interfering in Arab affairs."

"Hezbollah and its secretary-general [Nasrallah] are the only ones who swim against the Arab and Lebanese current, declaring their blind loyalty to the Iranian birds of darkness," Zaidan said. "His [Nasrallah's] job is to implement an Iranian agenda against the Lebanese state." She added that Nasrallah and his "Iranian masters" have been caught off-guard by the coalition of Arab states in Yemen.

Judging from the reactions of Saudi and other Gulf commentators, it is evident that Nasrallah has already managed to cause huge and irreversible damage to Lebanon's relations with the predominantly Sunni Muslim Arab world.

These commentators, whose views reflect government thinking, have used extremely harsh words to denounce Nasrallah, with some dubbing him "deranged" and an "ingrate."

Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai, said that Nasrallah was a fool.

"A friend informs me that Nasarallat [the nickname Tamim gives to Nasrallah] says that Iran's interference in Yemen is as a charity foundation ... What a fool!" Tamim said.

Tariq al-Hamid, a prominent Saudi editor and political analyst, said that both Iran and Hezbollah have "gone haywire" as a result of the Saudi-led coalition's air strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemen.

Al-Hamid pointed out that Iran and Hezbollah were now frustrated because of the severe blows that their allies have been dealt in Yemen. "They were hoping that the Houthi control over Yemen would boost the morale of their followers, who are already frustrated because of what is happening to them in Syria," he said. "All the crazy folks in the region are now targeting Saudi Arabia. What is the difference between Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda? And what is the difference between Iran and the Islamic State? The answer is simple; they are all trying to establish a foothold on the border with Saudi Arabia."

Addressing the Hezbollah leader, a Saudi blogger wrote: "You must pay the price for the crime you committed against Lebanon in 2006, when you destroyed Lebanon through your light-heated actions. All what you were seeking back then was to rally as many Arabs and Muslims behind you through your dirty trick." Another blogger wrote: "It is time for the Arab countries to arrest the terrorist Nasrallah and bring him to trial for his interference in Yemen's affairs and crimes against Syria, as well as his betrayal of his country, Lebanon."

Nasrallah and his Hezbollah terrorist group are now more isolated than ever in the Arab world. Until a few years ago, Nasrallah was seen as a "hero" of the Arab world because of his fight against Israel.

Now, however, many Arabs seem to have woken up to the reality that Nasrallah is nothing but an Iranian puppet whose sole goal is to serve his masters in Tehran. This, of course, is good news for moderate Arabs and Muslims in the region. But it remains to be seen whether the U.S. Administration and other Western powers will also wake up and realize that Iran and its proxies pose a real threat not only to Israel, but also to many Arabs and Muslims.

Comment on this item

9 Reader Comments

steven L • Apr 22, 2015 at 01:32

The goal of Iran is the transformation of Lebanon into a failed state and blame Israel for it. Nasrallah is only a puppet.

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Habibeh • Apr 21, 2015 at 20:23

It is ridiculous, Iran is not interested in taking over the ME, and you know it.
Nasrallah cannot be seen as a puppet, he's a leader in his own right, have you even noticed how the people in Lebanon, whether Christian or Muslim hang on to his every word?
Nasrallah respects Iran and Iran respects Nasrallah because they follow the same creed and it is one of balance, fairness and justice. Unlike that of the despicable house of Saud, that is bombing Yemen to destruction. And you're talking about Nasrallah's ATTACKS on SA? That's a laugh! And it's outrageous. You are defending the indefensible!Do you even get this, that there are some people in this world who do not believe in wanton aggression, and will justifiably and fearlessly criticize it when they see it, which is why Nasrallah criticizes SA?
And he is not alone. All people and countries of conscience have criticized SA's interference in Yemen. Yemen is an independent country, but SA is not respecting this, and bombing it as much it wants, killing children and women, innocent civilians, and you have the nerve to say Iran wants to take over Yemen? Stop being ridiculous!Both the Yemenis and Iran have said that the latter is only giving the distressed people of Yemen, humanitarian aid which is a noble gesture on their part, and the right thing to do.
SA is a disgrace, or rather the despicable house of Saud is, not the people of SA. Not only that, the Wahhabi ideology has ruined the name of Islam. And of course it is quite obvious to see that America, and Zionist Israel, and SA are all birds of the same feather.

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John NMI Hancock • Apr 21, 2015 at 15:40

I found the article good until it said we had friends in the Middle East, and that there were moderates in the Middle East. Read the Koran, please. If there are any moderates in the Middle East, they are apostate Muslims, and Mohammad decreed death for them and a hotter part of hell than Christians or Jews. Moderates just want to do us in more slowly than ISIS.

As for allies, Saudi Arabia is probably thought of as the most visible ally. Saudi Arabia is using our oil money funding schools that teach Wahhabi Islam. If you want an example of Wahhabi Islam in action, look no further than ISIS. Please, don't insult the intelligence of those of us who have read the Koran and own both Ishaq and Tabari.

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David Ochami • Apr 21, 2015 at 13:38

This repetitive monologue has not an iota of truth at all, save generations and unsubstantiated claims and phrases like Arabs, Lebanese, Iranian interests. What are these interests, and how do Iranian interests clash with those of the Arabs? What for example is wrong with Iran fighting to expand its influence in a region where the US and Israel also have influence? Would you rather the Israelis, ISIS or the US took over your country than Iran?This strange logic appears intended to force people into silence in order not to discuss the House of Al Saud with the threat that doing so endangers the lives of Lebanese. All the nations with Lebanese are under obligation to protest all foreigners on their soil.Perish this genocidal logic and answer just one thing that Hassan Nasrallah has said and asked instead of inciting racism, sectarian and so called Arab nationalism. How can you even claim there is any such thing as Arab interests when some Arab nations have made peace with Israel? Some are Shia while others are Sunni. Probably the only thing that unites Arabs is the fact that most are ruled by illegitimate tyrants, supported by the West and tolerated by Israel and these include the so called defenders of the holy shrines.

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David M • Apr 21, 2015 at 10:48

I hope that Mr. Toameh has adequate security around him. His is an analytic voice in the "ME Morass" that is perceptive and useful. When I think of all the bad advice that our President gets from his advisers I wonder why those White House "specialists" are so often wrong but still on the payroll??

Meantime, the loud-but-stupid screams of the anti-Israel BDS bunch are not criticized by voices from the WH. Instead we announce red lines that turn invisible when crossed, we "negotiate" over nuclear bombs with a zealot filled radical Islamic extremist state that wishes us only harm.

We elected the present administration and are stuck for another two years. Hopefully Congress will see the glaring give-aways that Mr. Kerry and his Keystone Cop negotiators are planning to sign off on and stop the Iranian march to its own nukes.

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Elias Bejjani • Apr 21, 2015 at 08:46

Very true. Each word in this great piece is true 100%. Nasrallah is a mere Iranian puppet and mouthpiece. There is nothing in him that is Lebanese, Arab or even human. He hates all those who not slaves under the Mullahs' full control. By the end evil politicians like him always end with failure. He is on this track no matter what

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DockyWocky • Apr 21, 2015 at 08:31

I wouldn't go as far as saying the Arabs "loathe" Hezbollah. Maybe blindly follow what Hezbollah is serving would be more to the point. However, after decades of blind subservience to Hezbollah and Hamas's loonie craftsmanship, you would think that the Arabs would be about ready to look elsewhere for leadership. Hezbollah and Hamas's leadership has killed thousands of Arabs and has nary a thing to show for it.

If possible, maybe the Arabs ought to look up Einstein's definition of "insanity."

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John McGrath • Apr 21, 2015 at 07:58

ISIS are converts to Saudi Wahhabism, converted by Saudi missionary work. The Taliban are converts to Wahhabism, converted by Saudi missionary work. Boko Harmam in Africa are converts to Saudi Wahhabism, converted by Saudi missionary work. Both the Iranians and the Saudis are acting to take over. Be even handed in your reporting. The Saudis are allies of Israel -- for now, for convenience. And they are allies of the Bush family. But they are not to be trusted.

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John Veschini • Apr 21, 2015 at 07:26

What I expected was that some Arab nations will react to the push by Hezbollah as Iran's proxy to divide and rule. It has backfired.

Bahareh Hedayat is a human rights activist who has spent over six years in an Iranian prison for "insulting" Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and for "actions against national security, propagation of falsehoods, mutiny and illegal congregation." Hedayat is the longest serving female prisoner of conscience in Iran.

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